Halibut, Pacific (Hirame)

Pacific Halibut can live over 50 years, grow to 9 feet, and weigh over 500 pounds. They are found along the coastal waters of the northeast Pacific from northern California to the Gulf of Alaska and into the Bering Sea.

Pacific Halibut has a healthy abundance due largely to responsible management by the United States and Canada in a bilateral commission known as the International Pacific Halibut Commission, where annual catches and bycatch are strictly capped.

In most areas, commercial fishermen own shares of the total annual catch, eliminating the incentive to fish competitively. Most Pacific Halibut is caught using bottom longlines, but many fish are also caught by recreational fishermen. Seabird bycatch is a concern in the Alaska demersal (sea floor) or bottom longline fishery (which includes Pacific Halibut), but procedures are in place that mandate longline vessels to use seabird avoidance devices.